Former transport official suspected of placing 14 relatives in office
The former secretary of Quzhou city’s Department of Transportation was reported to have placed fourteen relatives in various Hebei governmental positions while he was in office.
According to the list of names provided by media, Lu’s brother held the position of the head of highway stations.
Lu’s brother-in-law was the head of transportation management stations, while his son-in-law was an accountant dealing with speeding fines.
A total of fourteen positions, including three station heads, two deputy station heads and two accountants, were filled by Lu’s relatives and friends, media revealed.
The Department of Transportation has a total of three hundred and forty five staff members, according to their official website.
The rule of the game: silence is golden
Investigators were unable to obtain a response from the Quzhou city government.
While Secretary Lu is no longer in office, information of the fourteen reported persons cannot be disclosed without consent of the incumbent secretary, an official from the Department of Transportation said.
According to official laws and regulations, however, all levels of government and executive bodies should protect citizens’ rights to access government information.
A Weibo user described the local government as a “family business.”
Another wrote, “The rule of the game: silence is golden.”
Many others made remarks about the prevalence of this situation. “How is this news? It is just as common as the flu. This situation is everywhere to be seen in China,” one said.
